So today sees me frantically preparing for the official online launch party of The Realm of the Hungry Ghosts tomorrow (when not chatting about the despicable George Galloway one Twitter), rallying people just to make sure I’m not left sitting there staring at the cake all by myself and generally making sure everything is in place.

Naturally, you are ALL invited. The “party” will be running on and off all through the day on Twitter (hash tag #hungryghostslaunch ) and Facebook. You can also participate by commenting below.

“A book that refuses to be comfortably straight-jacketed into one genre, The Realm of the Hungry Ghosts takes the reader into a complex supernatural thriller that, at its heart, reveals a satisfying, thoughtful literary novel. Murning is a storyteller from the old school, where language and character are paramount, and the cast of characters take us from past to present, through love, suspicion and finally to resolution. Lyrical and thought-provoking, this is a novel to be savoured.”Ruth Dugdall – author of The Woman Before Me and The Sacrificial Man.

I am delighted to reveal the cover for my next novel (to be published on 31 March 2012) The Realm of the Hungry Ghosts. The first novel to be brought out under my own micropublishing imprint, GWM Publications.

Designed by the very talented Gudrun Jobst, who also designed the cover for my first Legend Press novel, If I Never, I think you will agree that the end result is pretty striking.

I guess today is just destined to be “one of those days”. No sooner had my foot started to feel better than I heard from the Acquisitions Editor at Kunati. As mentioned here, he had passed my novel, The Realm of the Hungry Ghosts, along to his associates with a recommendation. Unanimity was required, however, and, to cut a long story short, it didn’t bloody well get it.

I’m disappointed. I know it’s par for the course, and I certainly don’t hold it against the guys at Kunati, but this was a “close call”, and these are the rejections that are always the toughest to get one’s head around. Kicking something would help, but that probably isn’t wise, what with my dodgy foot an’ all.

Still, Children of the Resolution (a very different novel to Realm) is almost complete so I’ll just pin my hopes on that. I believe it to be a far more marketable novel.

Now, where have I heard that before?

(Please note: I’m not really as pissed off as I possibly sound, so I don’t need the number for the Samaritans. And anyone who thinks it might be funny to send me it anyway can just… well, try it. Go on, I dares ya 😉 )

Feeling rather grotty today (though I am on antibiotics and improving), I awoke to find some promising news in my mailbox concerning The Realm of the Hungry Ghosts. It has been under consideration with an American independent for a while now (not sure what the etiquette is regarding mentioning names at this stage, so won’t) and this morning I heard from their Acquisitions Editor apologising for the delay and informing me that “I have finished reading your novel and if you are still seeking a publisher I will pass it on to our two other readers with a recommendation” and that he “certainly enjoyed the book and [he thinks] there is a market for it.”

Unanimity is required, so it could still be a no. But it cheered me in my moment of need 😉